Public warning issued after 5 lions escape in S. Africa

A warning was issued on Tuesday to residents in Mpumalanga, northern South Africa after five lions escaped from the Kruger National Park (KNP).

The South African National Parks (SANParks) urged residents of Komatipoort and adjacent areas in Mpumalanga to exercise extra caution as the five lions were believed to be roaming the area, SANParks spokesperson Rey Thakhuli said.

A resident reported a sighting of the five lions in the area on Monday morning after they escaped from the KNP, one of Africa's largest game reserves.

"The person alerted the officials who then went out to chase the lions back into the park ... However it is believed that they had managed to find their way back to the area and had disappeared in the sugar cane farms about four kilometres away from the KNP," Thakhuli said.

Police have called for residents to be extra vigilant and report any sighting of these dangerous predators to the authorities.

The KNP, Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) and South African Police Service (SAPS) have jointly launched a search operation.

A helicopter with a vet have been dispatched to dart the animals, according to Thakhuli.

But this was not an easy operation as the animals were believed to be in sugar cane farms and the area was known for its thick fog in the morning, which made the search operation quite difficult, he said.

"However, we are doing everything in our power to return the animals safe into the park," Thakhuli said.

It was believed the animals were still in the area and might have split up at the moment due to spectator value and people wanting to take pictures of the animals, Thakhuli said.

"We urge people to refrain from taking photographs of these animals as they are dangerous predators... and believed to have already killed a cow," he added.

An investigation was underway to determine how the lions managed to escape from the park. Endit